Signal for vehicles.



H. FRYMAN.

SIGNAL FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 23. 1916- 1.,26531 7. I Patented May 7,1918.

ATES

canto.

SIGNAL FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May '7, 1918.

Application filed October 23, 1916. Serial No. 127,169.

To all whom it may concern:

Be'it known that I, HARRY FRYMAN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Great Grimsby, in the county of Lincoln, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signals for Vehicles; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in that type of direction indicators for use on vehicles, which consists of a pointer adapted to be turned by the driver or rider of the vehicle to pointin the direction which will indicate to pedestrians and others the direction in which the vehicle is going to proceed, the pointer of indicators of this type being in some cases hollow and illuminated by an electric lamp or lamps or other artificial light, inside the same, and in other cases being solid and provided with a lamp applied to the point end.

According to my invention, I employ an indicator preferably of'arrow-like shape especially designed for use with bicycles, tricycles and the like and adapted to be mounted, according to a preferred mode, on the handle-bar thereof, the pointer or indicator proper being operated by a handle or hand-wheel fixed on the spindle of the indicator itself, the indicator being adapted to be turned to three distinctpositions, the one position being vertical indicating that the bicycle or the like is to proceed straight forward, the second pointing to the right, indicating that the bicycle or the like is to turn'in that direction, and the third pointing to the left, indicating that the bicycle or the like is to turn in that direction; my improvements consisting of the means for looking the pointer or indicator in the position to which it is turned; of the combination and arrangement of the parts comprising the apparatus, and according to a modification, of the special construction of the pointer and means for illuminating it. i

In order that my invention may be readily understood and carried into effect, I have appended hereunto a sheet of explanatory drawings of which Figure 1 is a side view of my indicating apparatus shown mounted on the handle-bar of a bicycle, Fig. 2 is a back view of same, Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1 but shows the indicator in the form of a box or casing fitted with a small electric lamp and also shows the battery or the equivalent for supplying the electric current to the lamp and the wires connecting the battery or the like with the lamp, parts of the apparatusbeing shown in section. Fig. 4r represents a back view of a portion of a bicycle head and handle-bars and shows the electric battery or the like mounted on the handle-bars, Fig. 5 is a section on the line 1-2 of Fig. 3, but showing only a portion of the indicator and the supporting rods, and Fig. 6 is afront view of the indicator illustrated at Fig; 3 showing the representation of an arrow cut or stamped out of the front and provided with a piece of glass or other transparent or semi-transparent material to form a backingfor the cut out or like design when the indicator is to be illuminated. Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive are drawn to a smaller scale than Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawing, A is the indicator shown as of arrow shape, A being the spindle provided with a flat enlargement a and a crank-like handle a on its outer end,

bearing consisting of two similarly shaped pieces B, B each having a semi-circular recess at the center, which recesses between them form a hole Z), the spindle being reduced as indicated at a to fit the said hole whereby longitudinal movement of the spindle and of the'indicator is prevented; any other suitable means for preventing longitudinal movement of the spindle in its hear ing may however be adopted.

The bearing, and consequently the indicator, is mounted in any suitable position and in any suitable manner in front of the rider of the bicycle or the like, the accompanying drawing showing it supported on the handle-bars C by means of two rods D, D carried by two clips E, E which embrace the handle-bars one at each side of the front pillar C the bottom end of the rod D passing through holes in ears 6, e 011 one end of the two portions which form the clip E and being secured to such clip by means of nuts d, d turned on the screw-threaded end of the rod the one into contact with the top ear and the other into contact with the bottom ear of such clip, its top end passing through holes in ears I), b on the hearing, which bearing is secured to the said rod by means of nuts (Z (Z the bottom end ofthe rod D being similarly passed through holes in ears on the clip E which correspond with the 'ea'rs c, 6 on the clip E, and being secured to the clip by-nnts as before described with'reference to the rod D, and its top passed through holes in other ears b Z2 en the bearingwhich is also secured to such rod by means of nuts (Z d With this arrangement the bottom ends of the rods with the nuts thereon con stitute a part of the meansfor securing the clips E, E on the handle-bars and the top ends 'ofsuch rods with the nuts thereon constitute the means for securing the two pieces B, B together to'form the bearingfor the indicator spindle. v

In the enlargement a, of the spindle A is a hole a which extends from the back of the enlargement for a suitable distance'into such enlargement, and mounted in such hole is a loose bolt Fwhich is backed by a'spring f, and inthe back face of the bearing 13,13 are three recesses G, G and G one or other of which recesses the boltF enters when the indicator is rotated to the point togive the required signal, so locking I the indicator in such position, the bolt engaging the recess G when the indicator is in its normal position, that is, pointing upwardly windicate that the rider intends to proceed straight forward, the said bolt engaging the recess G wlien'the indicator isturned to point in'a right hand direction to indicate that the rider intends to turn to the right, and engaging the recess G when the indicator is turned to point in a left hand-direction to indicate that the rider intends to turn to the left.

The back of the bearing may be provided with two stops 9, g with which one or other side of the enlargement a of the spindle A would come into contact on the spindle being" turned to turn the indicator in the direction to indicate thatthe rider intends'to turn to the right or to the left, said stops preventing the spindle and consequently the indicator also, from being turned too far around. a I

The indicator may be formed out of a suitably strong flat piece of metal, wood or other suitable 7 material, as illustrated at Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, or it may be cast or formed out of a pluralityof pieces of metal, aluminium by preference, sofitted and secured together as to provide a hollow interior in which is fitted a smallelectric lamp for lighting the interiorfjthe front portion of the indicator having the representation of an arrow or'other suitable'dev ce cut or "stamped out of 'it whereby the light would be discernible to observers at night or in dull weather.

Anfindicator of this type with means for supplying electric current'to thelanip "is illustrated at Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive of the -accompanyi ng drawing, a indicating the representation of an arrow cut or stamped indicator to form a backing for the cut or stamped out "designfa the electric lamp for illuminating the indicator. H indicates a battery or the equivalent for supplying electric current to' the lamp,such battery orfthe like being shown secured'fto one of the clips on' the handle-bars by means" of an arm' H and h are the'wireswhich connectthe battery or the like'with lamp a 4 Theibattery 'or the like is. provided with aswitch *h er any "approved; construction having a contactpiece"h? towhich is conn'ected one current wirejthe other current wire being connected toa terminal h? on-the battery '01- the like, a contact 's'tr'ip 7L being situated between the cantata 7L2 and the term'inalh whereby on the switch being moved to the required position the'circuit is completedan'd the current flows to the lamp. "A bent spring 72 is so mounted ontlie stem of the'switch as'to press on theii'ns'ide face -of the removable top of the battery or "like casing, to 'hold the switch in'thei position to which 'it is'rnoved.

The switch I 7L1 and its contact piece lf are s'lidable vertically in'a' hole in the cover N of the battery casing, and the strip k is referably or sprin imetal and is Iconstan'tly in 'ci'rcuivw'ith" the batter terminal h "When the switch is raisedyas shcwn in Fig. '3,the circuitis interrupted, and when the swit'chis pushed dawn sothat its contact piece bears on 'thefstrip' theci'rcuit is closed and the lam is lighted.

1. In a direction iiid-icator, a supportin bearing plate formed of two 'superpose parts, "means for securing the said; parts toge'ther and to a"vehi'cle, a shaft havin a "reduced middle portion'which is eurnifld in the bearing plate, said shaft-having'anenlargem'ent on'oneeiidport-ion, a spring catch bolt slidable in-a holein the said enlar'gement and adapted to 'engage with holes .in the said bearing plate so as to hold -thesha'ft in various predetermined positions, and a pointer secured 'on' the other end portion of the shaft from the saidenlargeni'ent.

v2. Ina direction indicator, a steering pillar providdwi th a ha'iidle bar, clips seprej ecting upwardly 'from"the 'saidclips and arrangedin front of thehan'dle'? bar, abearmg plate securedbetween thefupperends of the said rods, a shaft journaled in thebearing plate and arrangedjin the samevertical planeas the steering p llar, means for ret'ainingthe"shaft in various predetermined positions, and a pointer secured on the front end portion of the said shaft.

3. In a direction indicator, a steering pillar provided with a handle bar, clips secured to the handle bar and arranged one on each side of the steering pillar, two rods projecting upwardly from the said clips and arranged in front of the handle bar, a bearing plate secured between the upper ends of the said rods, a hollow shaft journaled in the bearing plate and arranged in the same vertical plane as the steering pillar, means for retaining the shaft in various predetermined positions, a hollow ointer secured on the said shaft, an electric attery supported by the. handle bar and arranged below it, an electric lamp inclosed in the hollow pointer, and wires passing through the hollow shaft and connecting the battery with the lamp.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature, in presence of two witnesses. HARRY FRYMAN.

Witnesses:

LOUIS EDGAR KIPPAX,

FRED HAROLD Rnonns.

Copies of this patent may be obtainedfor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. 0. 

